Objective:

In order to meet the Renewable Fuels Standard demands for 30 billion gallons of biofuels by the end of 2022, new technologies for generation of cellulosic ethanol must be exploited. In the southeast of the United States, woody residues from pine tree harvesting and pulping are an appropriate feedstock, however lignin must be removed from the plant secondary cell wall in order to efficiently retrieve the cellulose. Towards creation of a more ecologically friendly method of rendering bioethanol from cellulosic waste, we will attempt to produce recombinant lignolytic enzymes for use with cellulases and xylanases in wood pulp bioreactors.

Approach:

The project will engage undergraduate and graduate students in molecular cloning of genes for lignin-degrading enzymes based on a fungal source, expressing the recombinant proteins in E. coli and optimizing enzymatic activity. This will entail using literature analysis and bioinformatic methods to design genes for bacterial expression and structural modification of the protein, as well as measuring recombinant proteins and enzyme activity using standard molecular biological & biochemical methods. The Project Team of will be built using for-credit laboratory classes and in-house research internships, and will comprise undergraduate students from Chemistry and the Dual Degree Engineering Program (DDEP).

Expected Results:

We will generate bacterial expression systems to produce inexpensive, soluble, lignin-degrading enzymatic activity, and use the enzymes to enhance the yield of sugars and ethanol from wood pulp or other cellulosic wastes.

Contribution to Pollution Prevention or Control:

In addition to the general benefits of renewal fuels, the chemical lignin degradation processes used in the pulp and paper industry consume enormous amounts of water, and result in leaching of organochlorine compounds into the environment. The enzymatic delignification methods proposed here have to potential to substantially reduce the pollution in this industry.

Publications and Presentations:

Progress and Final Reports:

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.